When you review as many books as we do on this site, reading for leisure is something that rarely happens. There are a lot of titles that I want to read, but have fallen behind on because of a lack of time. There are a few titles though that I make sure to read, that I find the time no matter what and Dream Thief is one of them. With the first volume I saw flashes of Boom Studios’ Talent, but a story that was so interesting that I couldn’t help but want more. It was by far one of the best series to debut last year and it continues to be one of the best series of this year.
Since I’m just filling in for Steve on this review I’m going to do my best to recap without being too redundant. John Lincoln’s father is dead, but he’s possessed the body of another man that can be host to vengeful spirits. As we previously learned there’s more than a few Dream Thieves out there and John is just the next in a long family of them.
In the last issue John fell asleep and was possessed once again, but his friend came home and stopped his body from leaving. He gets the story from the ghost who goes by Whiteboy Tim and finds out about his death. Being the friend that he is, he talks Whiteboy Tim into filling in for John to sign the release of his father and get some extra help on getting his revenge.
The first thing to point out is that Greg Smallwood has departed from the series, most likely to work on Moon Knight. It’s a damn shame because he was a huge part of the success of this story. Taking his place is Tadd Galusha. Galusha’s artwork feels at home in the story. He doesn’t use as much shadowing as Smallwood so the vibe is a little different. Colorist Tamra Bonvillain keeps the look of the books consistent so that the change in art isn’t too noticeable. Galusha manages to keep all the characters recognizable which can be the kiss of death when the art changes. Galusha does a great job of filling in and if he decides to stay with the series he may even end up leaving his mark on the next volume.
Jai Nitz’s story continues to be suspenseful and interesting. It really seems as if our main characters could be caught at any time and with that hanging in the air you can’t help but wonder what will happen at every twist in the story; oh how Nitz’s twists! Nothing seems to go according to plan and why should it? It’s a revenge story after all.
Mini-series can be tricky because the endings are difficult to stick, but after the first volumes ending I have a lot of faith in the creative team to deliver a rewarding and intense ending. Hopefully we won’t have to wait too long to get the next installment either, because I’m hooked on this story and can’t wait to see where it goes.
Score: 4/5
Writer: Jai Nitz Artist: Tadd Galusha Colorist: Tamra Bonvillain Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Price: $3.99 Release Date: 8/27/14 Format: Mini-Series; Print/Digital